Gym Etiquette

I don’t work out in commercial gyms too often but when I do I am shocked at some of the habits people have and what gyms allow people to get away with. While you can’t make people change, you can change yourself. If you do hopefully others will follow your example. So here are some items of what I consider proper gym etiquette.

Rerack your weights.

Not doing this this should be grounds for revoking gym membership. This is simply picking up after yourself. Something we all learn to do as children. It takes very little effort and helps the next person. Some people might say that the person before them left the weights scattered around so they are just leaving it the way they found it. That leads us to our next item.

Rerack someone else’s weights.

It won’t kill you to pick up a small area you are in. Lead by example. If someone left your area unorganized then organize it when you are putting your weights up. It only makes sense. Who cares if you didn’t make the mess? Be better than that. Most people who have a normally functioning brain will feel bad seeing you pick up after them and won’t make the same mistake again.

Give your equipment to people who need it more than you.

If you are doing curls out of a squat rack for convenience there is nothing wrong with that. However, if someone is waiting to squat it is a deadly sin. Squat racks are for squatting. The same goes for deadlifting in front of a rack. You can deadlift anywhere. So you have to walk a few extra steps with weight. You are in a gym. Don’t be lazy.

Wipe down the benches and seats you use.

Gyms are breeding ground for bacteria. Additionally no one wants to deal with your sweat grease.

Don’t be an intimidating asshole.

No one cares how big you are or how much weight you can lift. Everyone starts somewhere. Just because you have 15 years of experience under your belt you don’t have to make the 15 year old feel more stupid that he or she already does trying to work out for the first time not knowing a clean from a curl. You aren’t in the gym to put on a show. You are there to workout. So is everyone else.

6. Leave the girls alone

I watched 3 different guys hit on a very attractive girl who was working her butt off. She clearly was not interested in a date and was there to get work done. It was a gym after all. I can’t imagine how distracting that would be. And remember mirrors work both ways fellas. She can see you staring at her like a creepy stalker.